


Couldn't bring a fire to Muspelheim

by Keenir



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: "We're doomed", Angrboda ships Loki/Sif, Gen, Iceland, Loki has an...interesting reaction to heat, Thor 2, reference to that incident with Thiasi, thor II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-21
Updated: 2013-11-21
Packaged: 2018-01-02 05:58:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1053321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since that incident on Muspelheim, Sif has grown much better at working with heat and fire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Couldn't bring a fire to Muspelheim

**MUSPELHEIM:**

"How is it you still haven't gotten that kindling burning, Sif?" Hogun asked.

She didn't have to look up at him for anyone to know there was anger in her eyes. "If that is a reference to how, as a woman, I should be well-versed in matters of the hearth and flames, then be aware -"

"You said you would start the fire while the rest of us put up the tents," Fandral reminded her before she did something not so nice. "Tents up, fire not."

"Mind that it's curious," Loki remarked.

Everyone looked up at where the voice had come from: from atop a vertical pillar of long-dried long-cooled lava. "Do we want to know how you got up there?"

Loki tapped Fandral on the shoulder, and the pillar-sitter evaporated.

"Are you ever going to not do that?" Fandral asked. Before Loki could do more than shrug, "What's curious?"

"The assumption that Sif is responsible for there being no flames," Loki said.

"Don't defend me, your majesty," Sif warned him.

"I learned that lesson centuries ago," Loki remarked. "We're here to learn survival techniques while the Allfather chats for a few days with Sutur or Surt, whichever one of them is awake."

"Yes," Thor said. "What of it?"

"As we are their guests, do you think either of the Muspelheimers would risk harm befalling us?"

"Particularly with the Allfather so close at hand," Volstagg said, in agreement.

"So the lord Sutur cast a spell to snuff out all sparks that could give rise to flame?" Thor asked. "If that is the case, then could you not use your magic to -"

"Thor, brother, consider of whom you speak," Loki said. "Though younger than Sutur, even Surt is older than our grandfather would be, had he never died. I can no more overwhelm the control they exert on their Realm, than an ant could defeat you in wrestling." Loki paused, frowned, considering. "Perhaps that explains the weather."

"A chill in the air is not weather," Fandral said. "It's a reason to have a fire," and shot a look at Sif, who was still working with the kindling.

Sif answered his challenge with one of her own: "If you believe you can do better, come and help."

"Though surely," Loki said, "surely good Volstagg and myself cannot be the only ones who are not rendered into teeth-chattering fools by this brisk air."

* * *

**MIDGARD:**

Standing only a few yards away from where the ground was split in two by the heat of geology, Sif stood fixed to the spot by her shock. _Loki kissed me._ In the long dawn of today, she had followed him out to here, to see what he was up to - if it was as innocuous as taking a closer look at the line they had all been shown yesterday, the rift where this volcano-warmed island was being widened by finger-widths every month...and he had spun around, leaped towards her, kissed her cheek soundly, and run off. _Why would he do that? Was there something I missed? Or is this a new game of his devising?_

Sif's thoughts were interupted by Fandral's bellowing shout of "LOKI!"

Fandral ran past, pausing to nod to Sif and ask, "Have you, perchance, seen the younger of our noble princes?"

"No," Sif said, a lie the first thing to come to mind as she was trying not to laugh, doing her best not to smile; and Fandral, good Fandral, did her the honor of running off before she could laugh at how Loki had sliced off the man's lustrous locks of golden hair. _There is something reassuring to know that what happened was not targeted just against myself, that I am not in that way special._ And yet...

* * *

**ALFHEIM:**

"Ah, the Lady Sif herself," Loki said as he - and the woman on his arm - came up to her, all smiles. "A grand event, is it not?"

"When do Elves do things in an understated way?" Sif replied.

"When they seek to disorient their enemies," said Loki's date. "Greetings, Lady Sif of Asgard."

"Greetings. And you are?"

"Angrboda of the Etins, tutor to the children of the royal family of Alfheim, and keeper of the royal zoo."

Sif smiled and looked at Loki. "She's perfect for you, then," Sif said.

 _Yes, yes, those wolves followed me for several weeks. As I gave my word to not speak of it, I won't mention the human children who followed you around for a month and a half - Thor and Fandral remember it well enough anyway._ "I understand that this celebration was shaped in accordance with Asgard's wishes," Loki said. "Though the Elves could not be blamed for refusing Asgardian assistance in setting it up, most particularly where concerns that which they considered most important of all."

Sif narrowed her eyes at him, knowing where he was going with this.

"Some people simply cannot make fire, even in the heart of Muspelheim."

Angrboda frowned, confused, and looked around at all the burning torches spread throughout the palace grounds here where the grand ball was taking place. "The two of you should dance," Angrboda said.

"I -" Loki started to say.

"Your chivalry has brought me out here, and for that I thank you, prince Loki. But I ken that the two of you would prefer to dance," and she backed a few steps away.

Sif shrugged, took Loki by the arm, and started walking toward the dance floor. _Much as I hate these sort of events, or rather being forced to attend these events...my feet hurt more when I stand around and wait patiently for the dammable thing to be over,_ which had always struck her as bizarre, given how long she could hold her position in a battle without discomfort.

"So much for Etins being more perceptive and knowing than the rest of us," Loki offered as he let himself be pulled to the dance floor, _may as well dance now anyway, as this is a ball._

Sif didn't comment on what looked like a faint flush to Loki's cheeks. What she did do, however, was to spin him out and away, but not let go of his hand - hers having slid down his arm en route. And well did she see the glint in his eyes when he stopped and looked hard at her.

He spun back towards her, stopping when he was nearly right against her - though an illusion-Loki was standing in that place. They twirled Sif about, and several illusion-Sifs appeared. With each move in the dance, more of each of them seemed to come into being.

"Now you are not and rightfully are the center of attention," Loki said to Sif, one hand sliding up her spine, into her hair, coming to rest on her neck.

"I'm sure there are easier ways to get a private dining hall," Sif said.

"There are," he said, and oh the look on his face as Sif repaid him for his taunt along her spine, by letting her calf graze all below and besides - and just a bit above - Loki's knee.

 _There are advantages to this being an Elf dance,_ Sif mused, _foremost among them, being that we dance in uniform, not in gowns._ And then Loki was dropping kisses all along one of her arms, stopping just shy of shoulder.

Seeing that he was about to spin out again and bow to her, Sif nixed that idea by grabbing him and pressing him flush against her - _nobody can see us or could distinguish us from all the other us (us'es?) around us._

Unruffled, Loki stole a kiss. Not on her cheek or his, but lip to lip. Then, when her grip slackened in surprise, he slipped back a few steps, and gave her that belated bow.

To show that she was indeed and in fact in control of this situation, Sif asked him, "Chivalry?"

Loki shrugged. "She was talking to a giant snake in the royal aquarium. So I offered to be her escort so she wasn't seen arriving alone."

"You're a good man, Loki," Sif said, patting his chest.

"I know," he said. Then, as if bound and determined to snap whatever thread was shaping in Sif's mind along that vein, he added "But more importantly, how is my dancing?"

"Don't push it," she told him.

He grinned, as if to remind her 'how can I not accept such a challenge?' "But what am I not to press?" Loki teased, and tapped one finger, once, upon her nose.

* * *

**NIDAVELLIR:**

"Then we smoke it out," Sif said.

"?" Fandral asked.

Volstagg asked, "And just how do you propose we smoke out a monster which has evolved to live in Dwarven foundries?" regretting ever suggesting such a quarry for this outing.

Sif's answering grin was entirely too large and enthusiastic for Volstagg's taste; though when he looked away, he saw a matching one - _an answering one_ \- on Loki's face.

"I shall make a fire," Sif replied.

 _Like the one on Muspelheim, or like the ones since, one of which nearly burned down a continent around us._ "We're doomed," Fandral said.

* * *

**ASGARD:**

"He is slightly warm to the touch, but he can still journey with us," Thor insisted, though he understood the hesitation his friends were showing. "Loki will behave." _As much as any of us do._

"Thor, do you remember what happened the last time your brother had a fever?"

"I do," Thor said. "Hogun stopped talking." _And Slepnir ended up on the roof of Valhalla. And Loki had me convinced that all the baby hawks later that summer were in fact my nieces and nephews._

"Mostly," Hogun said.

"Anyway," Fandral said, "perhaps we can find something we can all do together, some thing that there is no chance of mischief or trouble."

They all looked at one another.

"Perhaps a fishing trip?" Thor asked when nobody else had any ideas. "The waters off Lord Hymir's estate are supposed to have the best fish in all the Realms."

Volstagg nodded. "Sounds like a fine plan to me. Isn't that Sif's grandfather, so - Where is the Lady Sif, anyway?"

 _I would imagine she's trying to drag Loki out of bed so he doesn't miss all the fun._ Fandral shrugged, and the friends spent the rest of the day trying to find Sif and Loki.

* * *

**VANAHEIM:**

As she cut down her enemies and led the forces of Asgard to victory yet again, Sif could not help but wish that there was present a familiar voice of banter and skilled blades.

And then the Bifrost opened, depositing exactly one person onto the planet. _Your avenger-friends are spoiling you, Thor, that you hold yourself back now, saving for the single combat portion of the battles._ But Sif, ever-loyal Sif, said only that "I had - everything - completely - under - control!" Sif shouted at Thor. _I cannot help but wonder what Loki would do here. More for the flames than the chaos, I wonder that._

He would not dare spirit her away for amorousness, she knew, for that would incur her displeasure at being pulled out of a battle. _Though that does not remove the possibility of scattered amorousness on the field of battle - heated glances here, tender touches there, mutually stolen kisses here and there._

"Is that why everything's on fire?" Thor jested with her.


End file.
